Schaeffer's Daily Market Blog Features Computer Associates International, Sun Microsystems, Ask Jeeves, DuPont, and Intuit.

CINCINNATI -- Among the stocks featured in the January 13 edition of Schaeffer's Market Blog are Computer Associates International (NYSE:CA), Sun Microsystems (NASDAQ:SUNW), Ask Jeeves (NASDAQ:ASKJ), DuPont (NYSE:DD), and Intuit (NASDAQ:INTU). Schaeffer's Market Blog are just one of the many free market commentaries written everyday at www.SchaeffersResearch.com - the home of Bernie Schaeffer and Schaeffer's Investment Research. The Market Blog is written throughout every trading day by Schaeffer's financial analysts and traders. They are quick insights to the day's most notable market activity from an options perspective. For additional information about this report or to have it delivered to you free via email every day click on the following link. http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/redirect.aspx?CODE=PRMOU1M&PAGE=1 .

Schaeffer's Market Blog for Thursday, January 13, 2005:

Below are just a few of today's Market Blog entries. Click here to read all of today's Market Blog. http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/redirect.aspx?CODE=PROB1C&PAGE=1

9:55 AM Pessimism Toward Computer Associates International on the Rise

Computer Associates International (NYSE:CA) saw its puts trade at a pace 9.3 times greater than its average trading day on Wednesday. A total of 18,029 contracts changed hands with the most active being the February 25 strike on volume of 10,601. This put activity caused the Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) to jump from 0.74 to 0.82, while the percentile rank climbed to 49 from 37 percent. The short-interest ratio for CA is currently at 7.89, and analysts are not very hot on the stock with five "buy" ratings and eight "hold" ratings. CA is set to announce earnings results after the closing bell next Wednesday.

10:25 AM Sun Microsystems Set to Announce Earnings Tonight

Sun Microsystems (NASDAQ:SUNW) will report second-quarter earnings results tonight after the closing bell. Analysts are expecting the company to earn a penny per share after losing three cents per share during the same period one year ago. The sentiment is mixed heading into the report. The Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) is at 0.55, which is higher than 88 percent of the readings taken over the past year. The short-interest ratio is only at 0.53, but when a stock is trading at $4.62, short sellers tend to shy away. Analysts have certainly written the stock off with only one "buy" rating, eight "hold" ratings, and six "sell" ratings. On the chart, SUNW may have some support at $4.50, with this area acting as resistance back in June.

11:27 AM Option Players Add Calls on Ask Jeeves

Yesterday, calls traded actively on Ask Jeeves (NASDAQ:ASKJ), as call volume was 4.1 times heavier than average. More than 10,200 call contracts changed hands, with the most active being the February 30 strike (AUK BF). Investors added nearly 3,900 AUK BF contracts yesterday. A closer look shows that much of the activity occurred around 1:30 p.m., when several blocks of contracts (totaling nearly 2,300 contracts) crossed the tape. Most of the trades went off at the ask price, suggesting the contracts were purchased. A look at overall option activity shows that investors currently hold 40,300 calls compared to 27,300 puts in the near term. The resultant Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) of 0.68 is lower than 79 percent of all readings taken over the past year. Today, ASKJ is trading 30 cents lower to $27.69.

12:00 PM Heavy Put Activity on DuPont

DuPont (NYSE:DD) puts occupy one of the top spots on the list of most actively traded options on the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE). Specifically, DD's out-of-the-money February 45 put (DD NI) has traded 8,500 contracts, all of which have crossed on the CBOE. This volume executed as several large and small block trades that crossed the tape between 10:45 a.m. and 11:08 a.m. eastern time. These trades went off near the bid at 0.40 and 0.45, suggesting they were sales. With open interest of 4,549 contracts, much of today's volume should translate to new positions. The trades may have been the initiation of bullish-to-neutral put-sell positions. DD is trading down 0.32 percent at 47.05.

12:01 PM Puts Pile for Intuit

Yesterday, puts traded actively on Intuit (NASDAQ:INTU), as put volume was 6.5 times heavier than average. More than 3,000 contracts crossed the tape, with the most active contract being the January 40 strike (IQU MH). Investors traded more than 2,000 IQU MH contracts yesterday. A closer look shows that the majority of the activity occurred just after 10:30 a.m. Three blocks of contracts totaling 2,400 traded at the ask price, suggesting the contracts were purchased. A look at overall option activity on INTU shows that investors currently hold investors currently hold 21,500 calls compared to 19,600 puts in the front three months. The resultant Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) of 0.91 is higher than two-thirds of all readings taken over the past year. At last check, INTU was trading $1.08 lower to $39.27 today.

The above are just a few of today's Daily Market Blog entries. Click here to read all of today's Daily Market Blog. http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/redirect.aspx?CODE=PROB1C&PAGE=1

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About Schaeffer's Investment Research (www.SchaeffersResearch.com)

Schaeffer's Investment Research, founded by Bernie Schaeffer in 1981, is a financial information and trading resources company. It publishes Bernie Schaeffer's Option Advisor, the nation's leading options subscription newsletter. The firm's contrarian approach focuses on stocks with technical and fundamental trends that run counter to investor expectations. The firm's website, http://www.SchaeffersResearch.com , is recognized as one of the leading information sources for stock and options traders and was cited as the top options website by both Forbes and Barron's. Click here for more details about Schaeffer's trading methodology: http://www.SchaeffersResearch.com/method.